Nicole Naone and Ashley Huang Spark New Art Enthusiasm in Waikiki

Nicole Naone

University of Hawaii College of Arts and Sciences graduate Nicole Naone launched the Waikiki Parc Hotel's Parc Promenade earlier this year.  Using fiberglass, bronze, and repurposed woods, Naone created a beautiful piece of art drawing from multiple inspirations.  Her aim was to represent local art values and inspire the local art community to continue to grow and flourish.  Her installment at the Parc Promenade ended in October but fellow alum Ashley Huang has just installed a new exhibition entitled "Bamboo Forest."

Naone's installation

 

Ashley Huang

"Bamboo Forest" will be on display until February 28th 2014.  Huang's inspiration for the piece came from personal life experiences.  In describing her art Huang said, "Each ceramic bamboo culm represents my relationships with significant people who have influenced me throughout my life."

Ashley Huang's "Bamboo Forest"

The exhibit is free and open to the public at the Waikiki Parc Hotel lobby at 2233 Helumoa Road, Waikiki.

Congratulations to Newly Published Authors Jaimey Hamilton Faris and John Szostak!

Two UH professors, Jaimey Haimilton Faris and John Szostak have joined the prestigious ranks of published authors with the recent releases of their books.  

Faris’ book, Uncommon Goods, focuses on the shift in art since the 1990’s to focus on globalization.  Artists are engaging audiences using conventional commodities and goods, making statements about the “readymade” items that have become a common staple in every day life.  Uncommon Goods delves into the deeper ethical dilemmas associated with global commerce such as consumption, marketing, bureaucracy, labor, and community.

John Szostak focuses on early 20^th century Japanese artists in his book PaintingCircles.  Szostak centralizes the book around Tsuchida Bakusen, a Nihonga painter who founded the Kokuga Society.  The book analyzes the Kokuga Society’s efforts to preserve traditional Japanese art themes in today’s Western influence.

Annie Nguyen is Putting Herself on the Map!

Linkin Park's new LP designed by Annie Nguyen

After graduating from UH with her BFA, Annie Nguyen has been on force in the graphic design world.  After graduation, the Honolulu native moved her talent to Los Angeles where she is currently the art director at Machine Shop, a creative art studio in L.A. that works with top artists.  Machine Shop started in 2011 and the company has taken off in the past two years, now working with top names such as Linkin Park. 

Nguyen has had an interest in music and design from a young age.  While she was at UH she was involved with KTUH and launched Space&Sound with TravisTokuyama, Joe Gosalvez, and Alika Pfaltzgraff. Nguyen is still the creative director of Honolulu-based creative art company Space&Sound despite her current mainland location.    

686 Technical Apparel coat

At Machine Shop, Nguyen has been able to blend her two passions together in a creative explosion of talent.  Her latest works include the graphic design of Linkin Park’s new LP, as well as the design covers of some of the band’s singles.   She has also worked with Musicfor Relief, which is a charity organization that provides aide to environmental programs and disaster relief programs.  Nguyen has also applied her talents to 686 Technical Apparel, which is a high-tech clothing company specializing in cold weather environments.  Nguyen worked with her creative director, Rickey Kim, and artist, producer, rapper Mike Shinoda to design a jacket for 686.  Take a look at Annie Nguyen’s blog for more samples of her work.

BFA Alum Bringing Together New York and Hawaii With The Garage

Liam Davis "Fear Less, Hope More, Eat Less, Chew More,Whine Less, Breathe More, Talk Less, Say More" diptych, ink, pencil and acrylic stencils on wooden panels 14” x 11”2013

Susan Callahan Kang has jumpstarted a new gallery/salon called The Garage, in Honolulu highlighting local talent as well as notable artists from New York.   UH art professor Debra Drexler recently led a trip of MFA and BFA students to New York, where they met up with some New York talent to bridge the connection for The Garage.  New York artists include Liam Davis, Rob DeOude, Linda DiGusta, Enrico Gomez, and Michele Zalopany.  De Oude and Gomez have both exhibited internationally and published articles in well-known art magazines.  Liam Davis is a MFA alum from UH who is currently an artist and curator for Artifact Gallery in New York.  Michele Zalopany is a celebrated artist of Native Hawaiian decent given exceptional recognition in the 1989 Whitney Biennial.

Local artists featured in the exhibit are three 2013 BFA alums; Susan Callahan Kang, Jodie Chock, Nicole Naone, 2013 MFA alum JessicaOrfe, and Roland Longstreet, Nari Maeda, with Debra Drexler as the curator.  Drexler has exhibited at multiple galleries in Honolulu and New York and currently has studios in New York and Kailua.

Hours: Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00pm to 6:00pm, and by appointment.
The Garage- 1510 Ohialoke Street, Honolulu, Hawai’i, 96821.

Maika'i Tubbs now in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Canada

"Life of its Own" (detail pictured above), the work that Maika'i Tubbs produced for Sakahàn: International Indigenous Art at the National Gallery of Canada early this year was purchased by the gallery for their permanent collection.

The National Gallery of Canada interviewed Maika'i was his work and it is available here.

Kaili Chun with Erin Yuasa - Veritas, the second Iteration

Kaili Chun’s VERITAS II is featured in Kaka‘ako's ii gallery, 687 Auahi St. from November 14th – December 14th, 2013. An opening reception on Thursday, November 14th from 6 – 8P.

This exhibition will include photographs taken by Erin Yuasa of Chun's earlier iteration of Veritas in 2010, coorganized by Interisland Terminal and Na Mea Hawai‘i.
opening reception, Thursday, November 14th from 6 – 8P
artist talk on Friday, December 6th from 6 – 7P.

ii gallery, 687 Auahi Street
Tuesday – Friday, 7A – 7P
Saturday, 11A – 5P
Closed Sunday
facebook.com/iigallery

Students Impress at AIGA Hawai'i

“Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” –
book design. Designer: Lauren Trangmar. Instructor: Chae Ho Lee.

On October 26, students from the UH Manoa Design Area took top awards at the biennial AIGA Hawai‘i 5-0 statewide design competition. In the student category, the new identity system for the UH Department of Theatre and Dance, “Live on Stage” (designed by 2013 BFA design students in the UH Design Workshop – listed below) and the book, “Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” (designed by BFA design student, Lauren Trangmar) were both recognized with top honors. The nationally recognized designers and design writers who constituted the jury not only added an additional award to the student category (raising the number from 3 to 4) but made special note of the general quality of the student work saying:

“Overall, the student work was great. There was some stuff that was really surprising, hit the mark, and even went beyond the category. There were a couple that I could put in the [professional] Top 50, or even the [professional] Top 5.”

“Live on Stage” – Identity system for the UH Department of Theatre and Dance.
Designers: Brigitte Baker, Brian Baldwin, KC Fong,
Taylor Hanson, Janell Isara, Linda Lovan,
Casey Nishikawa, Kamie Oda, Robin Pignataro,
Maribeth Seveses, Sarah Smith, Lauren Trangmar.
 Instructor: Anne Bush.

UH Design alumni working in Hawai‘i were also well-represented. Of the 50 designs by professionals in the state singled out for recognition, 25 projects were designed by UH Design alumni (including 4 of the “Top 5” projects).